U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,603 to Buono et al. discloses an air bag guide for a vehicle seat component that includes flexible inner and outer panels having outer extremities located adjacent a release seam of a trim cover. The outer extremity of the flexible inner panel is secured to the trim cover. The outer extremity of the flexible outer panel is unconnected to the trim cover and curved to provide a guide flap.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,311,325 to Tracht et al. discloses a vehicle seat assembly that comprises a frame, a seat pad, a trim cover including a release seam, a connector to maintain the release seam in a closed position, and an air bag assembly within the trim cover. The air bag assembly includes an air bag inflatable to project outwardly through the air bag release seam when the air bag seam is in an opened position. The vehicle seat assembly further includes an air bag guide and a member comprising a first end portion secured to the air bag guide and a second end portion secured to the connector, with the member being movable in response to inflation of the air bag to break the connector to allow the tear seam to move to the opened position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,673 to Hasegawa et al. discloses a seat structure having a side impact air bag apparatus integrated into a side portion of a seat back opposing a vehicle door. The air bag apparatus is activated at the time of a side impact such that a sewn portion of a seat surface layer breaks and an air bag body inflates between a side portion of a vehicle body and the side of a vehicle occupant. The sewn portion of the seat surface layer is formed by sewing a front seat surface layer for covering the front of the seat back to a side seat surface layer for covering the side of the seat back. A sheet member is provided inside the side seat surface layer integrally with the side seat surface layer. The sheet member is harder to stretch than the side seat surface layer. One end of the sheet member is sewn to the sewn portion. A fixing member is provided inside the seat back. The fixing member is engaged with another end of the sheet member, which is provided on the opposite side of the one end of the sheet member.
United States Patent Application Publication 2006/0113764 to Tracht discloses a vehicle seat assembly that includes a frame for mounting the seat to a vehicle. The seat assembly also includes a seat pad molded from a polymeric material and located proximate the frame. A trim cover is disposed over the seat pad, and includes a seam adjacent a side of the seat pad. An airbag assembly, which includes an airbag and an inflator configured to supply gas to the airbag, is also part of the seat assembly. A pad shield is molded in situ with the seat pad, and covers at least a portion of the seat pad for protecting it during deployment of the airbag. The pad shield includes first and second portions which form a deployment channel for the airbag, and thereby inhibit contact of the airbag with the seat pad as the airbag deploys.